Clam tongs



June 1930- c. H. MUNKELWITZ ,763,

CLAN TONGS Invenior 7 a CA 'MUNKELWITZ A itorney Julie 10, 1930.

C. H. MUNKELWITZ CLAN TONGS Filed Aug. 17, 1929 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I Inventor I CARL H. MuukgLm-rz v 1 By Patented June 10, 1930 warren STATES CARL I-I. M'UNKELWFIZ, OF SAYVILLE, NEW YORK.

CLAIVI TONGS Application filed August 17, 1929. Serial No. 386,656.

This invention relates to improvements in clam tongs, and particularly to the aw heads thereof.

The primary object of the invention re sides in a clam tong head or jaw which is provided with attaching means for rigidly fastening the same to a handle and in which any play may be readily taken up should the head become loose due to the shrinkage of the handle by reason of its exposure to the elements to which it is subjected when in use.

Another object is to providea clam digging instrument embodying a pair of coacting jaws carried on the ends of a pair of pivotally when brought together by the actuation of the handles will form a basket like head for trapping or retaining the clams scooped therein during the closing operation of the tongs.

A further object is the provision of a clam tong aw which is simple and rigid of construction, inexpensive of manufacture and easy to apply or remove from its support ing handle to enable an ordinary layman to remove a head or jaw from a broken handle and apply the same to a new one.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter more fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved clam digging instrument in use.

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view partly in section of the head end of one of the tongs. I

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of one of the basket like jaws.

Figure i is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4.& of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference character 10 designates my improved clam tongs in its entirety which includes a pair of elongated handle members 11 which are pivotally connected connected handles, which jaws together as at 12 adjacent one of the ends thereof and which adjacent ends carry coacting jaws l3 13.

Both jaws 1S-13 being of a like construction, a description of one will suilice for the other. The jaw 13 comprises a substantially inverted bl-shaped frame l i which includes a top rail 15, and legs or side rails 16, the latter terminating in 17 which support the opposite ends of a bottom. or base rail 18 which bridges the space between the terminal ends of the frame and the said bottom rail is provided with spaced downwardly and outwardly extending teeth 19. The top rail 15 is bent midway between its ends to provide oppositely outwardly diverging portions as clearly shown in Figure 4: of the drawings, while longitudinal spaced rods 20 having terminal eyes 21 connect with the side rails or legs 16, the legs passing through the eyes, and secured thereto by welding or any similar manner. Transverse braces 22 extending from the top rail 14 to the lowermost of the longitudinal rails 20 for bracing the same to provide a rigid construction. It will beseen that each jaw provides a wire basket like structure and the same coacts to retain any clams scooped thereinto during movement oi? the jaws from an open to a closed position by the actuation of the free ends of the handle members 1111.

For the purpose of securely attaching each jaw to its respective handle member 11, I provide a novel form oi attaching means which includes an outer resilient tongue or strap 23, and an outer similar strap 2% which is curved and joins the strap 23 adjacent the bottom rail 18 to provide a substantially ll-shaped crotch 25. The lower end of each handle member 11 is curved on one side, and straight on the opposite side to conform to the shape of the crotch 25 in which the lowor end of the handle extends whereby the re spective straps 23 and 2e snugly fit the in ner and outer sides of the handle member as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Screws or the like 26 pass through openings in the strap and enter the handle member 11, while a U-shaped shackle bolt 27 passes around the lower end of the strap and handle, the threaded ends of the shackle bolt passing through a clamping plate 28 which bridges the legs of the bolt and is held tight against the inner strap by suitable nuts 29. Slidably mounted upon the straps 23 and 24 is a clamping band 30 which is substantially rectangular in plan, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, and which band is adapted to be slid verticall to cause the same to tightly jam or we ge the strap into tight engagement with the opposite sides of the handle member. This wedging action may be accomplished before applying the fastening elements 26 in order to initially adjust the resilient strap to the handle ends, and later on should the jaw accidentally work' loose from the handle member by reason of shrinkage of the wood from which the handle is constructed due to the elements to which the tongs are subjected, the said clamping band may be further adjusted to take up any play between the jaw and the said handle.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that I have provided a clam digging instrument in which a rigid construction of head or jaw is provided together with a novel construction of attaching means by which the said head may be firmly connected to the handle member and which facilitates the removal of the head should the handlemember become broken in use. In practice the coacting teeth 19 of the respective jaws serve to gather in the clams when the jaws are moved from an open to a closed position, while the basket like structure receives the clams and retains them during the pulling in or lifting up of the instrument, whereupon the clams -may be emptied by merely opening the jaws by the actuation of the handle members as will be readily appreciated. It might be here stated that the teeth 19 of one jaw are staggered with respect to the teeth of the other jaw in order that theywill not meet when the jaws are in a closed position,

which allows for the tight closing of the jaws to prevent dropping out of the clams therebetween.

Vhile I have shown what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to'the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention, limited only by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A clam digging instrument comprising a pair of pivotally connected handle members, a pair of coactin-g jaws carried by one end of said handle members, each of said jaws including a wire frame of substantially inverted U-shape, a base rail secured to the terminal ends of said frameand bridging the space therebetween, spaced lon itudinal bars having their terminal ends Xedly secured to the side legs of said wire frame, spaced transverse brace bars secured to said longitudinal bars and the top rail of said frame, and spaced teeth along the bottom rail of said frame, the teeth of one jaw being staggered relative to the teeth of the other jaw, to allow the said jaws to tightly close when moved to a closed position.

2. In a clam digging tong, a wire jaw of a basket like structure, a pair of resilient metal straps fixedly secured to said jaw and converging downwardly toward each other, a handle member having one end shaped to fit between the convergmg strap, fastening elements passing through said strap and into said handle member, and a take up band slidable on said strap for wedging engagement therewith to take up any play between said handle member and said straps upon loosening of said handle member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CARL H. MUNKELWITZ. 

